Summary: A new study of 121 infants in Accra, Ghana, reveals that babies regularly hear 2-6 languages from multiple caregivers. Unlike the Western model of learning one language from a primary caregiver, these children acquire language through a dynamic social environment.
Local languages such as Akan, GA, and ewe are learned primarily through direct interactions, while English is acquired more indirectly through media and formal communication. These findings highlight the need for a broader perspective on language acquisition that reflects global language diversity.
Important facts
Multilingual Exposure: Ghanaian infants hear two to six languages from multiple caregivers. Direct vs. Indirect input: Local languages come from direct interactions, but English is primarily learned through the media.
Source: Potsdam University
A study of 121 babies between 3 and 12 months in Accra, the capital of Ghana, shows an astounding variety of language input in the early months of life. Children are regularly exposed to 2-6 languages.
Surprisingly, the number of caregivers whose children range from 2 to 6, and babies with more adults in their daily lives can also listen to a more different language to care for regularly.
In Ghana, families often live in so-called “complexes.” There, many everyday interactions take place in the courtyard. There, families, neighbors and other relatives play an important role in the life of children.
“The idea that a child learns only one particular language from a single caregiver, as is often assumed in Western cultures, does not apply to these communities. Rather, children are surrounded by abundant language input from the start,” says Paul O. Oman, the first author of the study.
“The majority of research on language acquisition in children is being conducted in western industrialized countries, which is why we focus on a rather narrow concept of multilingualism. Our research shows that other societies show a much more vibrant multilingual environment,” adds Dr. Natalie Bol Abetissin, the research principal investigator.
An important finding in this study is the distinction between direct and indirect inputs. English is obtained primarily through indirect channels such as television and formal communication, but children receive most local languages (Akan, Georgia, sheep, etc.) through direct contact with caregivers.
Therefore, the proportion of direct input is higher in local languages than in English, which exists primarily as indirect input.
Natalie Bol Abetisan said:
“However, our results suggest that indirect input, particularly through media and formal communication, plays an important role in children’s daily lives, particularly in urban contexts.”
As a result of their empirical research, researchers are seeking a broader view in language research. General assumptions do not reflect the diversity and complexity found in other cultural contexts such as Ghana.
This study reveals that it is not only the number of languages children hear, but also the various forms of input that have a critical impact on people’s diversity and language acquisition.
“Our research shows that for many children, multilingual environments are dynamic and lively reality from the start. Multilingualism is not just a bonus, it is a fundamental part of a child’s identity and social structure,” the researchers say.
About this language and learning research news
Author: Matthias Zimmermann
Source: Potsdam University
Contact: Matthias Zimmermann – Potsdam University
Image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: Open access.
“Exploring the nature of multilingual input into young children in multiple caregivers families in African cities: an Accra (Ghana) case study” by Natalie Boll-Avetisyan et al. Cognitive development
Abstract
Exploring the nature of multilingual input to infants in multiple caregivers families in African cities: the case of Accra (Ghana)
Examining the language input experiences of infants grown in multilingual African environments is essential for understanding language acquisition.
Language input was investigated in 3;0-12;0 month old infants (n = 121) from Ghana (sub-Saharan Africa).
Data collection included an interview assessment, followed by caregivers completing a 12-hour logbook, showing the language the child had heard over the course of the day.
The results demonstrate consistency of infant language exposure across both input measurement tools, suggesting its reliability.
The results revealed that Ghanaian infants were raised in multilinguals, exposed to 2-6 languages, and involved in 2-6 regular input providers.
There was no evidence of age association with number of language or normal input provider association.
Analysis of the relative amounts of inputs in Ghanaian English, Akan, sheep, and GA revealed that infants are less direct than indirect input in Ghanaian English.
These findings shed light on input to African infants raised in linguistic environments and multilingual societies, highlighting the impact of social and cultural contexts on linguistic input.
We conclude with reflection on studying infants in non-Western and economically unrich social contexts in multilingual Africa.
